Gate fastener



R. J. VICKERS GATE FASTENER May 29, 1951 Filed Sept. 30, 1949 Patented May 29, IQI

@GATE FASTENER ReginaldJI-Vickers;ThePlains; Va. iApplication` September 30, "1949,`L'S.erial No1 118,941

` Claims.

l The-.presentinvention relates Atoga gate fastener andirnore :particularly-,to such f a fastener which .tis especially .fadapted .ffor locking ...farm gates i against the .escapetoff` animals.

As is well `vknown ato all Yengaged inagricultural vpursuitsparvery Ifreal probem'exists on. thev farm .inw keepngaanimals zcon-ned l,within .the lbounds :sof the... pasture. It .is-a well recognized 1facinthat -.ar1imals=are. familiarewithnthe v.purpose ofapgate @andfs/villf,spend many-hours attempting to, open the :same by :utilizing L; sheer Weight rubbing vfraurainstz the fasteneraorfeven some instances, :':rparticularlyinithevcase .of horsesremployingthe 'zeteeth i `Grreat damage @often 'lresults Vl`from ...the f escapeof animals" fromstheir.. proper. confine,V .for izinstan-ce, by the trampling 'of4 Ycrops ,i and; gardens and many fuseful .-hours-arefutilized lin the rounding up of .animalsfiwhich havefstrayediaeld.

Therefore, ff it isgparticula-rlyf.necessary that a 'farmgate `fastener bei-of maximum. effectiveness :andz'positive ,inwitsf action. It is.; also .1necessaryY .rhoweven ,that-fthe:construction. offfthe; fastener bez: such-that:- the f animals t'cannot.- injure U.them- -1 Hselves fin'v their. eiorts @to f opent-he gate.

:Accordingly-it -isi a--fprimaryobject otfthe-prescent'. invention", to provideai gate fastenen'fwhich :cannotiin: any manner be opened by.` animals.

1 'Another objectxof the 'present invention-iste :..proy'ideca gate fastener,iwhichf-Willsbe incapable i .of vvinjuring.animals'. attempting-tto: openfthex. gate '.secureddhereby. y

.':It is 'also f an 1 obj ect ofi thepresentrinventionsto ..1providefa1gate `fastener y which can, i if fdesreda be secured-- .against :opening/byul human trespassers :It .is: -;a still further iobjecttof fthe,.,.present ezinvention to provide-2.a .gate I fastener Lwhich Twill operatee'electivelyfinaconnection with all gates even if they have sagged badly. and become misaligned eitherbefore.:oraafterfinstallation of the piastener.

Yet another object ofthe :presentinvetionis to provide .agate fastener which may" be'easily installed orfany -gate'A wit-hout uthe Jemployment of skilledlabor.

' Anotherfobject Yof `the present inventioni-is to :provide 1.a "gate fastener, whichwmay beiopera-ted @:With maximum ease .and speed.

Another and further object of the present invention is to provide a gate fastener possessing all of the desirable attributes listed above and which is simple in construction, economical, and of maximum effectiveness.

Still further objects of the present invention will'be apparent from the following detailed de` scription of the same taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

-l'ig' 1" lis la* front#` elevational f view *showingthe icslevicerin :operation'rupon lzaelgfate in closedvp'osiion;

IFig? v2 'is anf"enlarged 'sectional-Hviewftakenfzron f-"theline' 2-l2fof 'Fig.*1`,`-. looking'f-in the? direction: of fthevarrows;

l *Figf* 3 fisan enlarged 'fragmentaryY -perspective view-including portionsf the-"gatefshowing`the l-fastener L in `'greater detail-'fand Fig-.P4 is Han enlarged sectional View?v takenon the' line Il-i4 cffFig. 1'; looking in thedirectionof thee-arrows.

i Referring-now *more particularly tothe- "drawingsfthe numeralf I 'generallyfdesignateslthegate tombe fastened; v'which-"may lloe'of''eonver'itional `construction `and "have" the .usual `rails Tand-"verticalfendmember 3. "The numeral# denotesthe slampostofithe fence against'ivhi'ch the upright end member 'of thejgate"'will"abut :inclos'e'd' posit1on. l The' gate Iis securely held against'thepost 4 in closed position by the fastener, whichis the .subject-matter of the present invention'fand is .designatedi'generally ,byi the 1 numeral. 6.

.YIhefastener .6 comprises .a''ileiibleY 'elongated :.member which will; preferably. be in the form. of l a chain-f1,:althoughiitds tobeunderstood that any v other-membenof: suitable-lexibilityandY strength hav-ingf spaced apertures .therein couldA .be lsubsti- .ftuteda-for-f :the preferred chain, if desired. .One .fend of-.thefchain` 14 is-=secured to `an attaching.. def vice: Bras-by :having they last .link ot thel chain `pass 'throughianiaperturecinant offset portion-V of f the Jrfsame '-.The` fastening-device 8 -is .adapted tobe A.rfsecuredfto `the side rofl thef:s1am--post-4 @byaf screw .r 9? :orzfother suitable: means.

*.Toi-the end ofzthezichain1,1remote fromthat at which it is secured to the post dgiisflfastenedra '"floekingikey l' II vpreferably `byncausing vthe Jnal klot-v the'fchain Lto'` pass .-througln an :aperture .'.I 2 ein." the"'=body fportion'ff'the-key `1The key :1,I I fis prerab'lyforlongate'd'-bar formi'` forfeasy-.1 inser- *tion*arid-'isosuchdimensicn thatiitiwill readily passfthroueh-any' of-*the *intermediate links-F of fthe" 'chainfor-"areason,l which `will become apparenthereinafter.

"Thebo'dyfporti'on "of the #key II i is provided lvvith an"aperture"I-3 spaced from 'the ipo'intfof attachment of the 'key-='v1it`-h"the` cha-inA i 1. `The aperture I3 is adapted to receive a split locking ring I4 formed of spring steel. The locking ring I4 is preferably formed with an offset end portion I6 so that the separation point of the ring may be readily located even in the dark.

The locking key II may also be provided with an aperture II adapted to receive a padlock for 3 securing the gate against trespass by humans, if desired.

The gate I is provided with an aperture I8 for insertion of the locking key I I and chain 'I therethrough. The positioning of the aperture I8 is not critical, but it has been found in practice that the most desirable point is adjacent the outer edge of the gate post I so that movement of the chain. 1 is not restricted and through one of the upper of the rails 2, although preferably not the uppermost rail. For strengthening purposes and to distribute the pressure, it has been found desirable to provide the gate with an --up-v right member I9 secured to the rails 2 by any suitable means and provided with an aperture 2| registering with aperture I8. To protect against wear, a metal plate 22 is secured to the upright member' I9 with an aperture 23 therein locking spring Ill through aperture I3 will obviously prevent any displacement of the locking key I I from the link through which it is-inserted no matter in what'manner pressure is-applied by an animal seeking to open the gate. tion of a padlock through the aperture I'I will prevent displacement of the key II by any unauthorized human, such as a trespasser. When the fastening device is not in use, the chain 1 will assume the position show-nin dotted lines in Fig. 2.

1 claim;

1. A gate fastener for a gate adapted to close against a slam post and having an aperture therethrough adjacent said slam post when said gate is closed, comprising: achain adapted to be secured at one end to said slam post and comprising a plurality of links; a locking key secured to the other end of said chain, said locking key being insertable in the oneof said links next adjacent the outer side of said gate after said locking key and said chain have been passed through said aperture in said gate andI said gate closed; and means preventing displacement of said locking key from said one of said links removably secured to said locking key at a point spaced from that at which said locking key is secured to said chain. f

2. A gate fastener for a gate adapted to close against a slam post and having an aperture therethrough adjacent said slam post when said gate is closed, comprising: aichain adapted to be secured at one end to said slam post and comprising a plurality of links; a locking key secured to the other end of said chain, said locking key being insertable in the one oi said links next adjacent the outer side of said gate after said locking key and said chain have been passed through said aperture in said gate and said gate Inseri closed, said locking key having an aperture therein spaced from the point at which said chain is secured to said locking key; and a locking ring insertable in said aperture in said locking key whereby said locking key is maintained against displacement from said link.

3. A gate fastener for a gate adapted to close against a slam post and having an aperture therethrough adjacent said slam post when said gate is closed, comprising: a chain adapted to be secured at one end to said slam post and comprising a plurality of links; a locking key secured to the other end of said chain, said locking key being insertable in the one or" said links next adjacent the outer side of said gate after said locking key and said chainhave been passed through said aperture in said gate and said gate closed, said locking key having an aperture therein spaced from the point at which said chain is secured to said locking key; and a split locking ring insertable in said aperture in said locking key whereby said locking key is maintained against displacement from said link, said locking ring having an offset portion marking its point of separation.

4'. A gate fastener for a gate adapted to close against an abutting surface and having an aperture therethrough adjacent said surface when said gate is closed, comprising: a' chain including a plurality of links; means for` securing one end of said chain to said surface; a locking key of elongated bar form dimensioned so as `to readily pass through an intermediate 'link in said chain adjacent the outer side of said gate after said locking key and said chain have been passed through said aperture in said gate; and means preventing accidental displacement of said locking key from said link after insertion.

5. A gate fastener for a gate adapted to close against a slam post and having an aperture therethrough adjacent said slam post when said gate is closed, comprising: an elongated vflexible member adapted to' be secured at one end'to said slam post and having an aperture therein spaced from said end by a distance at least the thickness of said gate; a locking key secured to theY other end-of said ilexible member, said locking key beinginsertable in said aperture in said flexible member after said locking key and said flexible member" have been passed through said aperture in said gate and said gate closed; and means removably secured to said locking key at a point spaced'from that at which said locking key is secured to said flexible member for preventing displacement of said locking key from said aperture in said flexible member.

REGINALD J. VICKERS.

REFERENCES CITED The followingreferences are of record'in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 448,880 Hansen' Mar'. 24, 1891 1,294,406 Corbett Feb. 18, 1919 41,850,367 Winter Mar. 22, 1932 

